


Heated Arguments

by Geekgirles



Category: Trolls (2016), Trolls: The Beat Goes On (Cartoon)
Genre: AU inside the Betrothed AU, Betrothed au, F/M, Forest and Valley Kingdom AU, Trolls AU, Veyry vague mentions of love making but nothing serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25811437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geekgirles/pseuds/Geekgirles
Summary: An Alternate Universe inside of Tipolover22's Betrothed AUHeat always made Forest trolls lose their minds, which was why the Royal Family tried to keep their fellow Rainbow trolls away from it. But what would happen if Princess Poppy were around during the exact same time as Prince Branch's heat came?
Relationships: Branch/Poppy, Branch/Queen Poppy (Trolls)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42
Collections: Best Broppy, Top Shelf Broppy





	Heated Arguments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TiPoLover_22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiPoLover_22/gifts).



> Well, I came up with this little concept of an alternative universe inside the Betrothed timeline and shared it with Tipolover22. And considering she basically demanded I made it a reality, I'd say I have her permission for it. Hope you guys like it, and remember, I'm not a natice English-speaker, so sorry for any possible typos!

The alliance between Rainbow and Forest trolls had been all thanks to one troll: Commander Suki.

Thirteen years ago, she, a rainbow troll, stumbled upon the Forest Kingdom, where she met the young heir to the throne; the, then, thirteen-year-old Prince Branch. Upon finding her, he asked her if she wished to be escorted back home, however, she refused, insisting on staying and training to become a soldier in his kingdom, instead. But King Eucalyptus and Queen Kathryn wouldn’t allow a child from a complete different culture to be immersed in their people’s affairs, at least, not without Suki’s people’s knowledge.

Therefore, they sent a letter to the Valley King, informing him of the situation at hand. Soon after he replied, saying they’d visit the Forest and try talking to Suki.

Prince Branch didn't understand what the King meant by “they”... Until the old monarch arrived, his ten-year-old daughter, Princess Poppy, right beside him. Apparently, the Valley Princess was Suki’s best friend, so of course she’d want to know why her friend would want to leave her kingdom, leave  _ her _ . 

They talked to Suki in private for hours, until a decision was made; Suki would be allowed to stay and train with them, as long as King Peppy and his daughter could visit her at least twice a year.

Much to Branch’s surprise, his parents accepted, stating it was the perfect opportunity to establish a deal that would benefit both kingdoms. A deal they planned to strengthen by encouraging a positive relationship, a close friendship, between their children.

Branch’s first impression of Poppy could be summed up with one word; annoying. The little princess was one annoying mess. 

She was the embodiment of all aspects of the Valley culture Branch was most uneasy with! She was pink, loud, chatty, had no sense of personal space, and, if it weren’t because she’d been carefully instructed by her dad that the Forest was more dangerous than her home, she would’ve probably spent her whole visit singing at the top of her lungs.

But he couldn’t deny she seemed to be a wonderful friend. Beside her Suki always practically glowed, she was the most comfortable with her. And when the princess’ father decided it was time they left, the two had tears in their eyes as they embraced, bidding each other goodbye.

The most astonishing thing of that day, however, was the young princess tightly hugging the prince goodbye, like they’d known each other their whole lives, and sincerely thanking him for taking care of her best friend with a handmade card. Branch was practically catatonic afterwards, and, he was sure, hadn’t it been because he was her superior, Suki would’ve teased him about it to no end. 

He kept the card.

Even if Poppy’s first visit had been...entertaining, to say the least, he didn’t start seeing her as a friend until her second visit that year. Which took place the exact same week when her father’s best soldier, his teenage crush, gave her hand in marriage to another troll. 

To his eternal surprise, the princess was the only one who noticed something was wrong with him after the happy couple shared the exciting news; his own parents didn’t find out until he talked about it himself.

But not her. Oh no. Just like she would prove time and time again over the course of the years, Princess Poppy’s ability to sense when something was troubling him was uncanny. That was just the very first example. 

She found him sitting on a branch relatively far from the kingdom, but still under its guards’ careful gaze, while he tried to fight back the tears. That was his safe haven, a place where he could allow himself to unlock the gates of his well-guarded heart, where he stored away everything that hurt him, anything that made him vulnerable,  _ weak _ .

He tried sending her away, tried acting tough and cranky, which he knew she hated the most. He even tried to scare her away by being unnecessarily mean and hurtful! But it did nothing, for she knew the only one truly hurting was him.

Eventually, after some coaxing (and threatening to look for him whenever it was Hug Time and hug  _ only _ him), he finally opened up. He told her about his crush on the future bride, about how awestruck he was whenever she displayed her skill with her sword. The way his heart would beat whenever she commanded respect among her peers. He just knew he had it bad.

“Ok, first of all? You’ve got weird taste in women.” Those were Poppy’s first words. Looking back, it was a rather funny answer, but he remembered not being amused by it then. At all.

His scowl deepened. That was how Rainbow trolls supported others? By being insensitive? They were even more ridiculous than what he originally thought. “I did not tell you about this so you could mock me,  _ princess _ .” He sneered, knowing just how much she hated being addressed by her title, the little frown on her face was proof enough of that. “If you’re just here to be a nuisance, I’d rather you just leave me alone.”

Her expression softened at the hurt tone of his voice, she moved a little bit closer to him. “Branch, I said ‘first of all’”, she said, matter-of-factly, “What I really wanted to say is...well…” she avoided his gaze, suddenly feeling very shy, “I think you’re great just the way you are, and you deserve someone who can see that, too. And if the girl you like can’t, then she was never right for you.” Then, she added with the tiniest voice, “At least, that’s what I think.”

He remembered his jaw dropping at the sound of such mature relationship advice coming from someone her age. She was right, if the troll he loved couldn’t love him back, then there was no use crying about it.

And then she added, “Also, she’s too old for you. I think a thirteen-year-old boy dating a much older troll is kinda wrong…”

He laughed. Again, she was right; it was so  _ wrong _ . “You’re right. Thank you, Poppy.”

That was the first time he ever called her by her name, and the smile she wore afterwards was so innocent and pure it would always be one of his fondest memories.

When that visit came to an end, the little princess hugged him again, to his chagrin, and handed him a new scrapbooked card. A smiling Poppy, surrounded by hearts and rainbows, held a banner that read,  _ “Any troll would be lucky to be with you.” _

He learned that day there was absolutely _ no way _ to best Poppy at being thoughtful. That girl was an unbeatable sweetheart.

When he received her first card, he didn’t throw it away because he feared being reprimanded by his mother for such a disconsiderate behaviour towards a gift from a lady (the Queen had taken an instant liking to the pink princess). But after that second card, he knew he just couldn’t bring himself to throw them away, so he kept them all in a shelf in his private office. And he never,  _ ever _ , talked about them.

Although it was no secret that the only reason why he cleaned that shelf all on his own, instead of letting the maids take care of it, was because it was a known, unspoken rule amongst the Forest trolls that by touching the Prince’s beloved collection of Poppy’s handmade gifts you risked meeting a fate worse than death. 

Over the years, their parents got what they wanted; those two were close friends. Sure, Poppy was that kind of friend that got on his nerves, but it could be worse; she could be like Mulberry. His parents once proposed to him to think about uniting both kingdoms, but he firmly opposed. Poppy was his friend, but she was nothing like the girl he was supposed to marry, the beautiful, formidable warrior his Great-grandpa Gavel had told him about when he was a kid. So he would never wed her. Nonetheless, Poppy was very dear to him. 

The most challenging part of the Valley Royals’ visits was, by far, scheduling them. 

First of all, the Forest was ten times more dangerous than the Valley. Second, they didn’t have as many provisions as they did, which was one of the key factors why Winter visits were such a rare occurrence; even if most predators were asleep, the food was scarce, and the Rainbow trolls had many important festivities around that time, anyway. Thirdly, Forest trolls had  _ enemies _ , who had nothing to do with the happiest side of the species. They couldn’t risk their king and future queen’s safety like that! Even so, every time he and his men came back from battle, Branch would soon receive a heartwarming card, wishing the best for his safety and health. And, last but not least, there was the issue with Branch’s heat.

Heats made Forest trolls desperate for physical intimacy. The only way of being safe from it was being the troll’s mate, but then you’d be pampered and spoiled by your lovesick partner, who would be desperate for being physically intimate with you.

And, judging by the solid death glare King Peppy once delivered the Royal family regarding a light hearted joke about his daughter’s romantic relationships, they were  _ frosted _ if anything happened to Poppy’s innocence and purity while they visited. 

When it came to other trolls trying to make a move on Poppy, the solution was easy; Branch would keep a close eye on her and protect her from his people’s vulnerability. 

But, since he and Poppy often spent a lot of their free time together, and it was weird and rude to tell someone they couldn’t even see their childhood friend during one of the few times they got to visit them, they couldn’t afford having Branch near her during his heat.

The only way to solve this problem was to keep count on when it would come and make sure Poppy came before or after the heat did. 

But Mathematics have always been known for being tricky…

* * *

Branch woke up from his slumber feeling like he’d been run over by an inexperienced soldier’s hummingbird. Man, that last heat sure was intense! He felt more physically and emotionally exhausted than ever before, but he also remembered the least… That is to say, he remembered absolutely  _ nothing _ .

The easiest way to find out who he’d spent part of his heat with was simply rolling over his bed to see who was sleeping beside him. But when he did, he found the other side to be completely empty, and, now that he took a closer look, the sheets didn’t appear to have been used like they would after a one night stand…

Huh, weird.

It wasn’t usual of him to spend the last night of his heat alone, he knew from experience his body and hormones weren’t willing to cut the party short when his primal urges struck. So why wasn’t anyone there beside him? Who had he slept with?

He shrugged,  _ “Guess I’ll just have to wait for the flirty glances, giggling, and winks that come with the end of the heat.” _

Getting out of bed, the prince put on his armor for the first time in a week. Judging by the position of the sun, he’d missed the morning patrol. Luckily, it wasn’t like he was in any trouble, the whole kingdom knew his heat came the previous week, so of course he wouldn’t be in top shape for a while.

As he made it to the dining room, a voice broke him out of his stupor. “Branch, good morning!”

Turning around to the sound of a voice he’d recognise anywhere, he saw Poppy running up to him. That’s right! Poppy arrived the exact same day as his heat! Oh, dear Troll Tree… He just hoped his parents had been able to keep her distracted while he fooled around!

Even so, he couldn’t help the confused look on his face from appearing when he noticed the radiant smile on the pink princess’ face. For some reason, she looked more excited than ever, and that was saying something…

When Poppy stopped right in front of him, Branch couldn’t help but subconsciously take a step back, overwhelmed by the intensity in the girl’s eyes, shining with such candour the prince almost felt dizzy for a minute. “So…”, she giggled nervously and looking adorable while doing so, “how’d you sleep?”

Now that his friend had broken the strange spell she had him under, Branch cleared his throat, “I slept fine, Poppy. Thank you for asking. I was about to head to the dining room to eat some breakfast, I just woke up.” He answered, resuming his walk now with his childhood friend beside him.

“Wait, you’re gonna grab some breakfast  _ now _ ? You  _ just _ woke up?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at his direction due to his odd behaviour. “Dude, what happened to you? You were never a heavy sleeper.” She snorted, wrinkling her little magenta nose in the cutest way. “I mean, usually you’re up with the break of dawn!”

“Well, there’s always a first time for everything, I suppose…” There was no way he was telling her about his heat. If there was one troll who should never know about it, that was Poppy. So he’d have to keep her distracted from the topic, “How about you, how did you sleep last night?”

She looked down to her feet smiling shyly, a rosy tinge highlighting her glitter freckles, “Oh, I could barely sleep a wink, if I’m being honest. I was far too excited for our date today!”

“I see…” He answered, not really paying attention to what she said. Until it hit him, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Wait, what?” Did she just say they had a  _ date _ ?!

“Well, yeah.” She continued, rubbing her arm feeling a little embarrassed. She was completely oblivious to his inner turmoils. “I know it sounds childish, but I just can’t help it! Also, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about now.” The moment Branch opened his mouth to speak up, she shushed him with her finger, effectively shutting him up. “ Now, I know you love surprising me, Branch, but I really need to know! Please, please, please, _ please _ ! Tell me what you have planned!” She pleaded with her best puppy dog eyes. 

However, as soon as she noticed his blank stare and constant stuttering, she got worried. “Wait, did you...forget?”

Of course he forgot! He didn't even know what she was talking about! He didn’t understand, heats were for mating in the most physically way possible, not dating! If he’d been around Poppy during his heat, then why was she talking to him about dates?! He always thought if they ever saw each other during his more primal state, Poppy would be so uncomfortable by it she probably wouldn't even want to approach him (which was a fear he would never admit to anyone, not even himself), let alone have dates with him! 

But he had to answer her question in a way that would, hopefully, not offend her. He took a deep breath, “No, Poppy… I’m sorry, I… I don’t remember anything about a date.” All of this would be much easier if the look in her eyes didn’t say she’d just been kicked. 

He didn’t remember? But how? They’d just talked about it last night! He promised what he’d planned would rock her socks, right before stealing a goodbye kiss… Maybe he forgot he’d already agreed on helping his parents with some other responsibility? Yeah, that was probably it. 

Smiling again, she got a little closer to her boyfriend and held his arm like the couple they were, completely ignoring the uncomfortable shudder the close proximity caused to Branch, and started walking towards the dining room with him. “Ok, it’s cool. You’re probably busy, anyway. After all, I’m pretty sure you spent the last week slacking off from your duties, mister.” She playfully scolded him, enjoying the nervous smile that made its way to his lips, but not knowing the real reason behind it. “But before we enter the dining room and the moment’s broken… don’t you have anything to say to me today, casanova?” She fluttered her eyelashes seductively at him, waiting for the stream of beautiful words and praises to rain on her. “Although, I gotta give it to you, my man, it’s gonna be difficult to top your poem about my, and I quote, ‘intoxicating strawberry fragrance.’” She giggled.

Poetry? About her? Since when did Poppy know he’d inherited his father’s knack for poetry?! Nobody knew about it! Not even his ‘long-term’ conquests had been on the receiving end of it! And not only that, why was she holding his arm like that, just like his parents did whenever they were together? How could he wake up from his heat and be forced to face such a ridiculous situation?! 

Wait a minute… A date he knew nothing about, Poppy being extra affectionate with him, poetry about her… His eyes widened and his face morphed itself into a horrified expression. Oh, no. Did Poppy think they were together? Oh, gah, he was  _ so  _ frosted… He didn’t want to hurt her, but she was going to end up like that anyways if he didn’t break the news to her soon.

Only half an hour in and it was official; worst post-heat day ever.

Branch stopped walking, knowing that’d force Poppy to stop as well. After gently taking his arm away from her embrace, and cursing himself and his bodily urges at the sight of her confused face, he took a deep breath, readying himself for what he was about to do. “Poppy, listen…” He sighed. “I don’t remember anything of what you’re talking about. So, if you think we’re together or something, I’m sorry, but we aren’t.”

He felt like such a coward for refusing to meet her eyes, but he couldn’t, he just couldn’t. Ever since he’d met Poppy he learned there was not a thing that pained him more than seeing her sad. And if she cried too, to top it all, he would feel every tear on his skin, burning his dermis like acid. Every sad whimper coming from her mouth was like stabbing a knife through his heart. Poppy was the happiest troll he knew, and he hated seeing that change. But he hated being the cause of it more.

Poppy just stood there, completely paralysed. She looked at him, trying to search into those blue orbs of his for the answer. But it was pointless. He refused to even open them. She just wanted and explanation, that’s all. She just wanted him to laugh it off and say it was just a sick joke he couldn’t resist pulling on her. She didn’t care if it was the most insensitive thing anyone had ever done to her! She just wanted to hear it from his lips! She wanted to hear him calling her every little, cute nickname he’d come up with throughout the week. She wanted his strong, muscular arms around her, holding her tight like only he could. She wanted those lips on top of hers, stealing her breath away once again.

She wanted him…

After a while, she finally realised there was nothing to do. He really meant it when he said there was nothing between the two of them. Suddenly she felt very cold, like someone had splashed cold water over the fire Branch had previously ignited in her heart, leaving her core freezing. And, at the same time, she could feel her cheeks burning from the embarrassment. 

She couldn’t take it anymore, “I’-I’m sorry, Branch. I… I think I should just… I have to go.” And with that she turned on her heels and ran away from him to her chambers. Feeling stupid and heartbroken.

She was far away from him by the time he finally reacted and extended an arm to her, his limb now lying motionless on air. He really hoped he didn’t hurt her too badly.

Well, this was Poppy he was talking about. She could never stay mad with anyone, especially not with her friends. She’d probably come around.

At least, he hoped so.

* * *

When Poppy finally made it to her room, she slammed the door shut right behind her, her back resting against it before slowly sliding to the floor as she hid her face behind her arms. Now she could finally cry in peace.

She couldn’t believe just how foolish she’d been.

Of course Branch couldn’t be in love with her! She knew just his type; buff, strong warriors (although, who could blame him…). He was an amazon chaser; the fiercest the troll, the better. And she was neither! She was there when he poured his heart out to her about that soldier who got engaged he was crushing on! She knew this! She always did and always accepted it! Then  _ why _ did she allow herself to fall for such a lie!?

_ “Because it all felt so real…”,  _ she reminded herself. It was true, those past few days with Branch she felt more loved and beautiful than in her entire life, more so when he looked at her with such… happiness in his eyes. She’d naively allowed herself to believe she was the source of that joy. 

But why would Branch do something so cruel to her? Was he really trying to make fun of her, to toy with her feelings for his own amusement? 

But that didn’t make any sense. Branch could be a grump and a buzzkill, and his sarcastic remarks hurt her in the past more than once, but he was no monster. The prince was the most noble troll she had ever met, things such as emotional manipulation were repulsive and unforgivable to him.

Then why…? ...how? 

Poppy didn’t know what to think anymore, she just knew there was no way she could ever face Branch again after this.

* * *

Three days.

Poppy had been avoiding him for three frosting days. 

At first he was okay with it. He didn’t know how or why, but his heat had caused her a lot of unnecessary pain by making her believe they were lovers. Of course she wouldn’t feel comfortable around him so soon. 

But when he approached her the second day, she immediately excused herself, saying she had to ask her father about the development of some matters in the Valley. Three hours later, when he personally asked King Peppy about it, the old troll looked at him like he’d grown a second head. He could understand that too. Poppy clearly didn’t feel ready to face him after accidentally humiliating herself, and that was fine. Although the speed with which she came up with excuses, some of them with back up from his subjects, just to stay away from him was impressive. Hurtful, but impressive.

On the third day he was beginning to get frustrated. When he’d catch up to her and start talking about what happened, the moment he took his eyes away from her she was gone and nowhere to be found. The most insulting thing was that she was so good, he even considered recruiting her as a member of his stealth team. He was frustrated, but he could still find some patience in him. 

But now? Now that he watched Poppy talking amicably, without a sign of discomfort, with absolutely everyone in the Forest but him? 

Now he was fuming.

He tried talking Suki about convincing Poppy to talk to him, but his Commander would not budge. She said he’d have to talk to Poppy on his own, and she meant it. 

It was clear as daylight all of this discomfort and unnecessary drama was a result of his actions during his heat. And, seeing as he still couldn’t remember a single thing, he went to the two trolls who should. The two trolls who were supposed to keep him on check around his childhood friend in the first place.

He burst the dining room doors open with such force, he managed to startle his ever so stoic parents, who were sitting side by side at the large table and drinking some tea. Why he didn’t know, his mother at least was known for her preference of Poison Root over the sweet beverage. 

The king and queen exchanged surprised looks before resting their eyes on their son, Queen Kathryn was the first to break the silence, “Branch, what’s the matter? Is everything alright?”

“No, Mother. Nothing’s alright.”

“What do you mean, son?” Eucalyptus asked.

“She’s been avoiding me for three days already!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. Normally, he’d never be so emotional in front of his parents, especially not over something so petty, but he couldn’t stop himself. Poppy giving him the cold shoulder was affecting him in more ways than one.

The Royal couple blinked, slowly, “Who?”

“Poppy!” Branch exclaimed, throwing his arms to his sides. “I don’t get it! She’s been avoiding me ever since she started spouting some nonsense about us being together! And, sure, I can’t blame her for being embarrassed since that is not the case, but I haven’t talked to her in days, she’ll be gone again in a week, and it’s driving me  _ nuts _ ! Just what the  _ Hair _ happened during my heat, didn’t you try to stop me from getting near her?!” By the end of his rant he was so worked up he had trouble breathing properly, but he didn’t care. He just wanted an explanation. He wanted to know why his best friend would run away from him like this.

The king and queen exchanged a look before Kathryn spoke up, “But, son, we couldn’t.”

“What?”

It was Eucalyptus’ turn to explain things to him. Standing up, he made his way to his son before resting one hand over his shoulder, “When your heat came and you first laid your eyes on Poppy, you couldn’t take them off of her. You spent the whole week beside her, you didn’t want to be anywhere else or do anything else. And you talked to her more openly than ever before. If she smiled or laughed, your own smile wouldn’t leave your face for the rest of the day!”

“You reminded us of when your father and I started dating; you had the same lovestruck look in your eyes, the same dopey smile on your face... “ The queen continued, nodding from her seat, “You both looked so happy…”

For a minute, Branch just stood there, trying to process what his parents just told him. If he’d only had eyes for Poppy and Poppy alone during his heat, the time of the year where casual sex reigned supreme, that could only mean one thing…

That… that meant… that meant he… 

He gulped.

That meant he was in love with Poppy.

He couldn’t take it, his legs moved all on their own and led him somewhere far away from his parents, from Poppy, from judgemental eyes, from his own doubts and denial…

If only he hadn’t been so distracted by the whirlwind of emotions running loose inside him, he’d have noticed some of the nosiest trolls in the Forest were the ones in charge of guarding Their Majesties…

* * *

In the training grounds some of the Forest guards were having a lively chat about what transpired in the dining room not long ago. Forest trolls weren’t ones to gossip, but when they did… It was all a matter of time before the entire kingdom learned of their dear prince’s love life.

“Do you think it’s true?” Fiona asked, aiming an arrow to the bullseye before firing it. 

“What’s true?” Her best friend, Finnick, asked her in return. As close and like minded as they were, sometimes even he didn’t always understand what she was talking about.

“His Highness being in love with Princess Poppy, of course!”

“Oh,  _ that _ . Honestly, I don’t know.” He shrugged.

From behind them, someone scoffed. When they turned around to identify the source of the sound, they found their comrade, Sargeant Mulberry, leaning on a tree as he sharpened his sword with a rock. “First of all, Fiona, it’s Poppy. Not, ‘Princess Poppy’, or ‘Her Highness’, or ‘ma’am’, or ‘m’lady’, or any of that. Just ‘Poppy.’ You know she practically gets a rash whenever people address her formally.” He pointed out. “And second… Oh, boy, the prince is besotted alright…” He chuckled. He couldn’t believe nobody had ever noticed His Highness’ growing feelings for the Valley’s sweetheart; it was so obvious!

“And how do you know that, Mulberry?” Finnick crossed his arms over his chest, an accusatory eyebrow raised and directed at his general direction.

Every trace of amusement that was previously on the Sargeant’s face immediately disappeared, adopting a serious expression that was usually reserved only for when they went to war. Fiona and Finnick exchanged confused glances when Mulberry abandoned his sword to raise a hand and point at it with the other. “I almost lost a  _ hand _ when I accidentally touched the card Poppy made him for his twenty-first and a half birthday!” He yelled, still traumatised by the memory. “If getting violently overprotective over a particular someone’s gifts is not being in love, I don’t know what is!” He threw his arms to his sides, as if to emphasise his point.

“You can… you can also be overprotective of the things from a deceased loved one…” Fiona timidly pointed out, still freaked out by her partner’s uncharacteristic outburst.

“That’s not love, that’s depressive.” Mulberry deadpanned after a minute of incredulous silence.

“Guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this whole thing goes before jumping to conclusions.” Finnick shrugged, earning himself nods from his two fellow soldiers.

* * *

Being above his kingdom, surrounded and covered by the trees foliage, always gave Branch a feeling of peace. He felt he could think more clearly when he was there, and far away from the earthly responsibilities that burdened his shoulders. And right now, he needed a clear mind if he was to make sense of what his parents told him.

Normally, when a troll in heat spent all week with just one troll and acted particularly romantic to just them, it meant he or she or them had found a mate. 

But that didn’t make any sense. True, Poppy was his friend, but that was it! They were too different in terms of personality and upbringing, he couldn’t be in love with her! They wouldn’t be able to understand each other if they ended up together.

But what other explanation for his odd behaviour could there be?

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughter. Looking down, he found Poppy having a pleasant conversation with Mulberry. 

That had to be one of the Rainbow-Forest Alliance’s greatest mysteries. How could those two be such close friends was a question nobody had really been able to find an appropriate answer for. Branch himself was at a loss on the matter. Poppy was the sweetest, purest, most innocent troll in probably both kingdoms, who believed in love above everything else, while Mulberry had a tendency of getting in trouble because he always spoke with a foot in his mouth and was a notable ladykiller with some commitment issues. 

But somehow they made it work…

Now that he could finally look at Poppy, even if it was from a distance, Branch allowed himself to relax. He loved the sound of her laugh, it was one of his favourite things about her. The poet in him would compare it to the sound of bells ringing, but knowing Poppy, she’d prefer to be compared to cowbells.  _ “Everything sounds better with a cowbell, Branch!” _ , she always said.

He snorted, fondly, at the memory. She was always so eccentric and unpredictable! It was impossible to get bored around her, or to be consumed by your negative thoughts. Poppy always knew how to keep them at bay. Branch sighed, contently, “ _ I love her so much… _ ” He thought. Then his eyes widened when he finally registered what he said. _ “Wait, what?” _

Did he just admit he loved her? Before he could lose himself in the spiral of mixed feelings that was his mind again, Poppy’s laughter caught his attention for a second time. She looked so happy and relaxed with Mulberry… How he wished he could make her feel that way. How he wished to be the cause of her radiant smile! He missed her so much!

And he finally allowed himself to be honest.

Of course he was in love with Poppy! The few weeks a year they’d see each other were the highlight of his existence. When she was around everything was better and he actually felt unconditionally supported for once. Ironically enough, for a Rainbow troll, she understood him better than anyone else due to the heavy burden and high expectations that came with their position as heirs of their respective kingdoms. And when she wasn’t around, his mind already made sure to keep her near. 

On a subconscious level, Poppy was everything to him. 

Whenever a smell different from the soil of his kingdom hit him, he’d immediately think about Poppy’s strawberry fragrance, seducing his senses. When the wind travelled through the holes in the rocks they used to build their homes, he’d hear Poppy’s melodious voice harmonising with the elements, soothing his nerves. Whenever he gazed at the starry night sky, he’d see Poppy’s freckles, begging him to caress them with his fingers, or even his lips. And every sunset, every sunset without fail, when the sky graced them with its rosy hue, all he was able to see was those two sneaky pools of pink beauty, inviting him to dive into them with their syren song.

Of course he was in love with Poppy. He’d been head over hair in love with her for so long it’d become as natural as breathing! That was why didn’t know of his true feelings until they became too much to bear!

He was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Poppy.

And it was high time she knew.

* * *

A part of her told her she should stop avoiding Branch if she wanted to spend any time with him before her father and her left, but the more mortified part of her, the one that was still painfully aware of the fool she’d made of herself a few days prior, begged to differ. There was no way she could face Branch after reminding him, once again, of how wrong she was for him.

Even if Poppy hadn’t thought of Branch in a romantic way until he started showering her with affection (or rather, she hadn’t  _ allowed _ herself to think of him as such), she always admired him. Deep down, she even envied him; the way he could single-handedly take care of his kingdom and people when he wasn’t even king yet… It always made her feel so little in comparison, more so considering his home was full of predators and often had ongoing wars going on. Seeing Branch taking care of it all used to make her fear the day she’d step up and become queen of her kingdom even more. 

But he was so reliable. Despite his best efforts at hiding it and trying to keep a mask in front of his subjects, she knew he loved his people dearly. More than once she’d caught him smiling proudly at the young trollings under his care whenever they completed some task successfully. And after the first time she witnessed him crying over the lives of those who were lost to the forest, she silently vowed to be his shoulder to cry on whenever she could. A promise she made sure to keep.

A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. Who was she kidding? She swore to herself to always be there for him the day she found him crying over his teenage crush. Her ten-year-old self couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the serious young troll crying over unrequited love… That day she learned Forest trolls weren’t as good with emotions as they were wielding swords. Just like she learned there was no hope for her at winning Branch’s heart. He didn’t say it, but he didn’t need to; Poppy could tell his ideal troll was the complete opposite of what she was just by the twinkle in his eye when he spoke of his crush. Perhaps that was why she blocked the idea of falling in love with him in the deepest corners of her soul; to save herself from the unnecessary heartbreak.

And yet, she’d been stupid enough to believe he could ever change his mind and love her.

Even though, that didn’t stop her from sitting at the exact same branch as all those years ago now that _ she _ was the one with a broken heart, her feet swinging without her noticing. Talk about ironic.

She was so immersed in her own thoughts she didn’t sense anyone approaching her until she felt a shift in the branch she was on, bending itself a little further due to the added weight. Not willing to have anyone talking to her about her feelings, she put on her brightest smile before turning her face to cheerfully greet the newcomer… Only for the smile to disappear when she saw it was no other than the very same troll she’d been avoiding who was sitting by her side, staring intently at her.

“Oh, hey. Branch…” She wanted to facepalm herself, that disheartened tone of voice wasn’t fooling anyone!

“Poppy, we have much to talk about. And I’m not going anywhere or leaving you alone until we do. Do you hear me?” He patiently waited for her answer, when he saw her nod, albeit it was almost imperceptible, he was satisfied. “Please, Poppy, I don’t want to lose another week before you go back home and we won’t see each other for months…” He sounded so vulnerable… He hated it, but couldn’t help it. Poppy always had a knack for lowering his defences.

_ “Please, don’t. Don’t say that, Branch. Especially not like that… It gives me false hope that you feel the same way, and I know you don’t...”  _ She silently pleaded, doing her best to keep the tears that were threatening to spill. 

Seeing as she wasn’t going to break the silence, Branch took a deep breath. He was so nervous he couldn’t help fidgeting with his hands. “While I don’t remember what happened a few days ago, Poppy, I feel in the need to let you know that I never meant to harm you. Ever.” His hands acted separately from his mind, cupping her face and guiding it to meet his eyes so gently, the pink troll could feel her heart squeezing. “But you must know that… everything I did, everything I said… It… It wasn’t me.” He felt like kicking himself when he saw her furrow her eyebrows. Of course she was confused! He wasn’t making any sense! “I-I mean… I  _ was _ myself, but… I was in my heat, so my mind was not really the one controlling me at the moment… As crazy as that sounds…” He took one last deep breath, bracing himself for what was about to come. “You see, Poppy, you might not know what a heat is but-.”

“Oh, you mean that time of the year when you Forest trolls need to be taken care of in a sensual way because you’re naturally inclined to looking for ways of encouraging reproduction since your natural habitat does not with all predators, and dangers, and whatnot?”

The grey troll was convinced his jaw was barely touching the floor (and yes, he was aware he was sitting on a branch several feet from the ground) and his eyes were as wide as saucers. “How… How do you know that?” His voice was barely a whisper because of his astonishment.

“Oh, Mulberry told me.”

_ “Of course he did.” _ The prince mentally deadpanned, he always knew those two were dangerous together. “Ok, yeah. That’s exactly it. And that’s what I was going through when I accidentally made you believe we were together. I am so sorry, Poppy.” When he took notice of the moisture on her face, he panicked.  _ “No, no, no, no!” _ He could take on an army of vicious goblins any day, but Poppy’s tears?! His mind would go blank. “But!” He practically yelled to get her attention, fearing his words made her believe she was just a piece of meat to him. “What I did with you was different from my regular heats.”

“What do you mean?” She inquired as she dried off her tears with one of her fingers.

“My usual heats include nothing sort of what I did with you, Poppy. In fact,” he could feel his face burning up from the mad blush that’d taken over it, “what we did is something… we only do... when we have a mate…”

What Branch hoped would ease her mind only helped at freaking her out more. Oh, no! What had she done?! If Forest trolls only did the things they’d done when they’d found a mate, did that mean Branch was with somebody else already? Had she been flirting with Branch when he was already accounted for? Or even worse! Had she actually forgotten to send a congratulation card to the two lovebirds?! What kind of horrible monster was she?!

“Oh, Branch! I’m so sorry!”

“Wait,  _ you’re _ sorry? What are you even sorry-?”

“I swear, I didn’t know!”

“Poppy, you’re not making any sense-.”

“If I caused any trouble for you and your mate, I’ll send you an apology card-”

“Wait, ‘my mate’?”

“...Or maybe and apology basket…”

“Poppy!”

“...With chocolate, and cupcakes, and those tiny soaps that look a lot like candy, but are  _ not  _ candy…”

“Poppy, listen to me!”

“And maybe some high quality bed sheets?”

“Poppy, it’s  _ you _ ! You are my mate! I did all those things with you like reciting poetry, and going on dates, and being affectionate because  _ you’re _ my mate! I’m in love with you!”

That shut her up. After both regained their breath, it didn’t take long for a blush to make its presence known to both of them. They were both beet red. After clearing her throat a little, feeling very awkward all of a sudden, Poppy finally found her voice, “You’re...in love with me?”

He sighed, “Yes, Poppy. I am.” He chanced looking her in the eye, paying no mind to his rapidly beating heart. “I didn’t realise it until now, but nobody can talk to me like you do. Nobody can sass me back like you do. Nobody can frustrate me, and move me, and inspire me all at the same time like you do. Nobody can make me  _ happy _ like you do.” He used every ounce of courage he had to take her hands in his, “And seeing you so close, yet so far, finally opened my eyes.” He chuckled, “In the end, all it took was for me to lose my common sense to finally listen to my heart.”

Poppy couldn’t stop the tears of happiness from falling even if she wanted to, although, if it weren’t for how hard she was smiling, her dearest grump would’ve thought his confession backfired. “You know, I didn’t realise I was in love with you until your heat, either.” She started. “I guess I refused to see it because I believed you’d never fall in love with me. I gotta admit, when you started flirting with me and saying you loved me, I had no idea what to do, what to believe. Until I looked into your eyes,” she squeezed his hands a little tighter, “what I saw in there was pure, unadulterated  _ love _ … I knew then and there you couldn’t possibly be faking it, that you had to be telling the truth… I knew then you loved me, Branch.” The grey troll couldn’t help but think Poppy looked utterly adorable when she blushed. “Once I knew the true depth of your feelings, I allowed myself to return them.”

Unbeknownst to them, their faces kept leaning closer and closer to each other as they kept talking about their feelings and, by the time Poppy was done, the magnetism between them was so strong it’d have been impossible to stop them from meeting in the middle.

Branch was in Paradise. In all of his passionate nights, he’d never tasted lips as tantalising as Poppy’s. They tasted sweeter than anything he’d ever had before, even chocolate. They were so soft he was almost convinced he was kissing the petals of a rose. And they lit such a fire in his heart he felt like he was in heat all over again. They were intoxicating, they were addicting, they… They were…

They were Poppy.

Not far away from them, a guard smiled down fondly at them before hurriedly taking his leave. Somebody had to tell his fellow trolls the prince and princess were no longer available, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> So? How did I do? Did I make justice to to Tipo's wonderful world and characters? Boy, I sure hope so! Thanks for reading!


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